Two clay-covered hands rub your face, molding and sculpting it until it bears a striking resemblance to what you see in the mirror every morning.

Sculptor Leesa Haapapuro from the Dayton area uses live models to sculpt portraits, many of which were are being exhibited at the Riffe Gallery. Haapapuro then gives the sculptures she makes to her models.

â€œEverything you see has been returned to her for this exhibition,â€ said Mary Gray, director of Riffe Gallery.

The Ohio Arts Councilâ€™s Riffe Gallery will present Hereâ€™s Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio from January 27 â€“ April 17, 2011.

Gray said the public had an opportunity to be entered in a drawing to be Haapapuroâ€™s live model.

Kay Koeninger, from Dayton, curated the exhibition that features 14 Ohio artists who stretch the conventional idea of what a portrait can be.

Gray said the exhibit had portraits in almost every medium, from clay sculptures to photographs.

â€œWeâ€™ve got â€¦ just a little bit, a little touch of everything representing portraits,â€ Gray said. â€œAnd a lot of it is self-portrait, specifically.â€

Gray said it was the perfect time to have this exhibit because people and artists alike are flocking to portraits.

â€œWe look for trends in artists works, but my gosh, over the past couple of years, we could just see the rise of people returning to or just beginning to do portrait painting, ceramics,â€ she said. â€œAnd people love portraits. Everybody can relate to them.â€